Where Is Your Home?
by my mermaidia cove
Summary: Set just after the movie. North has something he would like to ask Jack, but will the winter spirit accept it? One-shot


_**Hey everybody! I just recently saw Rise of the Guardians and immediately LOVED it so I decided to write this and maybe eventually later on I may have another story in mind. Anyways hope you enjoy this.**_

_**Set just after the movie.**_

As the sleigh flew further away into the sky, North pulled out a snow globe and said "I say, North Pole!"

Jack, Sandy, and Tooth all cheered raising their arms in the air as if on a roller coaster ride. Bunnymund on the other hand clung to the railings for dear life. He hated the sleigh. Within seconds the entire sleigh and passengers were flying through the portal and towards the north pole, towards North's workshop. North let out a bellowing laugh as he landed the sleigh and Bunnymund was the first to jump out.

"Why I ever agree to get into that frightening sleigh, I have no idea mate. I prefer my tunnels thank you very much."

"Ah you are just big baby." North replied as he walked past Bunnymund.

Jack chuckled, "maybe I should call you a chicken instead of a kangaroo."

Bunnymund glared at him and Jack rushed after North laughing before Bunnymund could come up with a reply. Bunnymund simply shook his head as he began to follow and Tooth and Sandy followed behind him while the Yetis and elves took care of the sleigh and reindeer. Soon everyone was once again gathered near the globe by the fireplace as North removed his coat and hat and hung them on a nearby coat hanger.

For a few moments, no one said anything. Then Jack decided to be the one to break the silence. "So what now?" he asked, having no idea what the other guardians did after a successful fight and he slightly fidgeted where he stood.

"I think we should have a celebration party!" Tooth exclaimed.

"Excellent idea, Tooth!" North said, "We will have big feast!"

"A feast?" Jack quietly said, he couldn't remember the last time he had such a big meal.

Sandy began making sand images over his head, the guardians, a sword, a bed, a calendar, and then a roast beef. "Sandy's right," Bunnymund said, "Fighting Pitch was a lot of work, and we need to recuperate before celebrating." Sandy gave Bunnymund thumbs up, glad his images were interpreted correctly.

"I suppose that makes sense," Tooth said, "I have to get back to my fairies anyways. Kids loose teeth every day!"

North rubbed his beard in thought, "Alright, we take time to rest, then next week today we will celebrate here at the pole. Agreed?" Everyone put in their agreements and began to disperse, saying their goodbyes as they went.

Bunnymund was the first to leave, saying he had eggs to decorate as he shook hands with North and Sandy; Tooth flew over and hugged the large rabbit wishing him well. Jack was surprised when Bunnymund approached him and ruffled his snow white hair with his paw, "see you around, frostbite" he said before stomping his large foot and jumping down into his rabbit hole. Without realizing it, Jack had a huge smile on his face and he quickly made it smaller so as not to look overly happy about Bunnymund's brief moment of kindness.

Tooth was next to leave as she always had her busy tooth collecting schedule. She flew first over to Jack who she immediately hugged. That didn't surprise Jack in the least as she congratulated him on his bravery. She then flew over to North, hugging him and then over to Sandy as well. Baby Tooth fluttered over to Jack nuzzling his cheek making Jack laugh a little as he stroked her little head with a finger. Tooth called the little fairy over before both of them flew off to the Tooth Palace.

Sandy excused himself next, sand images appearing over his head of children asleep in their beds. He shook hands with North and then floated over to Jack, a sand image of a snowflake appeared above his head. "I'll see you around too, Sandy." Jack said as Sandy held out his hand for Jack to shake. Sandy bid a silent farewell as he created a small airplane and zoomed out of the workshop.

Now it was just North and Jack left. He knew what he had to do now, say goodbye and go back to his lake like every other night for the past three hundred years. What difference would becoming a guardian make? He fidgeted uncomfortably in place for a moment before speaking, "I… uh, guess I should get going then," he said "Bringing winter and all."

Jack only managed to make it a few steps away before North stopped him, "Jack, wait."

Jack turned to face North, "Yeah?"

"I would like to speak with you for a moment. If you do not mind."

Jack shrugged "okay, what about?"

"Let us go to my office and talk, hm?"

North beckoned Jack to follow and at first Jack considered just flying off but thought better of it and decided to follow North instead, curious as to what he would possibly want to talk about. Jack had to dodge the bustling yetis and flying toys in order to keep up with North who seemed to move past it all as if it didn't bother him at all. Soon they reached North's office and North opened the door and allowed Jack to walk in first as North followed behind and closed the door.

"North, what is this about?" Jack asked as North walked over to his desk where a railroad track made of ice sat on top.

North picked up a few small tools and began chipping away at a block of ice, "Every one of us has their own place they call home,", he looked up at Jack, "What do you call home, Jack?"

Jack was quiet for a few moments, in truth he had never really thought about this. It took him awhile to respond and the whole while Jack was thinking, North had turned back to his block of ice as a shape began to slowly form. "Why do you want to know?" Jack asked.

"Jack, in all the three hundred years you have been in this world. I have never seen where you go to at the end of the day. When the snow is thick, windows are frosted, and the ice is all frozen, Where do you go to spend the night?"

"The lake I guess," Jack replied, "It's the only place I know."

"Just the lake?"

"Just the lake."

"No roof over your head? A bed?"

Jack shook his head, "What about food?" North asked, "how do you get by throughout the day?"

Jack was now extremely nervous, in truth he managed by snagging whatever snacks fell out of a kid's lunch bag, a pie cooling in the window, and sometimes if he was really desperate, someone's garbage usually had half of a sandwich or something along that line somewhere near the top of the can. Being a winter spirit, he didn't need food as often as a regular human but the hunger still got to him every once in a while. But he wasn't about to reveal that to North.

"I get by fine." Jack simply said. North stopped working with the ice and set down his tools as he moved to stand in front of Jack.

"Jack, I know we had not been on the best of terms before this fight with Pitch but I would like you to hear me out. Can you do that for me?"

Jack simply nodded, not knowing what to say and North took this opportunity to begin as he gestured to a few chairs that were off to the side. One chair was a large red comforter and the other a smaller but just as comfortable silver comforter. North seated himself in the red chair and Jack took the silver chair, placing his staff upright against the wall.

"I understand, Jack, that we… especially me, hadn't paid as much attention as we should have towards you in the past three hundred years. I know that simply saying 'sorry' is not going to make the last three hundred years go away just like that. As guardians we are meant to protect the children of the world, and I realized that I did not do my job by ignoring you the way I had. I do not fully understand your reasons for trying to 'bust in' all these years but as of recent events I may have a good idea by now. Do not take this offensively because it is not a bad thing, but you are still just a child and forever will be. It is what makes you so good with the children of the world because you are a child yourself. Do you understand what I am saying so far?"

Jack nodded, "I can handle it, North."

North nodded as well, debating his next words before speaking again, "I do not possess the power of time and cannot go back to fix the wrongs that I or any one of us may have caused… But what I can do is focus on the present and future and make sure that whatever hurt may have happened in the past does not happen again. I want to offer you something, Jack. You do not have to accept it entirely just yet but I just want you to know that the offer is out there."

"What is it?"

North took a deep breath before speaking, "I would like to offer you a home, Jack. Here, at the pole. Now before you say anything, just listen for one more minute. You would get to have your own room and space to call your own, three meals a day, free to wander anywhere you like here and freedom to come and go as you please. Just be careful in the workshop though."

"North…" Jack gasped; he was overwhelmed to say the least. "I… I don't understand."

"What don't you understand, Jack?"

"I don't understand why you would want to take me in like this. I mean, other than the whole stuff with Pitch, what have I done for you to even come close to deserving this?"

North nodded, seeming to understand the boy's confusion, he stood from his chair and began walking back over to the desk where the ice railroad track sat.

"Come over here, Jack," North said, and Jack found himself obeying as he stood and walked over and stood next to North, "What do you think is missing from this?" he indicated to the ice railroad track.

Jack looked the entire railroad over and the only thing out of place on the track, was that there was no train, "A train, maybe?"

"Yes!"

And with that, North picked up the newly formed block of ice he had earlier been working on and instead of an ice block, a small train car had been carved and formed. North placed it on the track and almost immediately the train rushed to life, chugging along the tracks and hooting its tiny horn as it went by and Jack couldn't help but laugh as the train went by and North smiled.

"You want to know why I made such an offer, Jack." North asked as he looked at the boy. "It is because I, too, am missing something."

This made Jack look up at North, "What do you mean?"

"I have no wife, no children of my own. Yes the yetis and sometimes the elves are occasionally good company but they are also employees. Not entirely the same as a real family."

This sent Jack into a deep thought as he looked down at the little train coming around again. He managed to pick up the train and he held it in his hands looking down at it as if in an entirely new sight. Jack had longed for a family ever since the slightest mention of his memories had come around; he now began to understand North's feelings of wanting a family because it was exactly what Jack wanted. Jack's eyes began to have a slight coat of tears but he blinked them back with just barely enough time as North placed his hand under Jack's chin and gently tilted the boy's head up to face him.

"You are very special, Jack. You were very brave to fight against Pitch and you have been braver still to overcome all that time on your own. I cannot tell you what to do but whether you stay or not, all I want is for you to be safe. As I said before you will always be a child but a child should never be without a home."

Fresh tears began to fill Jack's eyes and this time he could barely hold them in as North carefully removed the little train from Jack's hands, setting it back on the desk. North looked back at Jack and held his arms open just enough for Jack to fit as the boy clung onto him and North held him. After a few minutes, Jack began to slowly pull away and North released his arms from around him and settled one hand on Jack's shoulder.

Jack lightly smiled, "I guess one night couldn't hurt." He said and North smiled as the two began to leave the office, Jack grabbing his staff on the way out. The little ice train continued around the tracks contently long into the night.

_**Awwwww! I've been dying to write this since I first saw the movie and now, mission accomplished! Hope you all liked it and watch for any other stories that may pop up! Ciao for now!**_


End file.
